PRECIOUS, PRECISE TIME
The independent manufacture proposes a refined red-gold variation of its pilot’s watch which is just as useful on the ground as it is high in the sky; this time round equipped with a split-seconds chronograph.
How can you record the time of two simultaneous events or split times with a single watch? To address this issue, watchmakers imagined a highly-useful complication: the split-seconds. Instead of integrating a single central direct-drive into the timepiece, in this case it features two which are superimposed. And, it’s this ingenious mechanism which can be admired on the gray dial of Breitling’s B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45.
In practice, a tap on the push-piece set at 2 o’clock initiates the red chronograph hand decorated with a B. A touch on the button nestling in the crown activates the split-seconds adorned with a marine anchor. A second touch stops it. The direct-drive continues to advance until you tap the first push-piece a second time. Like this, recording split times or two performances becomes child’s play. This model, adored by pilots, also embraces a bidirectional bezel hosting a circular scale. This collection-specific feature can be used to perform aeronautical calculations.
The B03 caliber beats at the heart of the 45 mm-diameter red-gold case. This self-winding movement drives the chronograph and displays time to ¼ of a second. It also powers the various time data – hours, minutes, seconds and date. When fully wound, it delivers a generous power reserve of around 70 hours. Its COSC certification (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) confirms its performances and its precision.
The B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 is worn on a black alligator strap.
Price: EUR26,270
By Dan Diaconu